Trigger Point Therapy for Relieving Computer Pain

I am always in pursuit of something to relieve my neck and shoulder pain from the hours I spend at the computer (yeah, I could just stay off but then how would I fill the empty days without my vice?). Anyway, my husband, Glenn, ordered this trigger point foam roller called The Grid. I already have a regular foam roller but it is large and has lost its shape. I decided to give the new foam roller a try this week and it has been a positive experience so far.

Trigger points are tiny knots that develop in a muscle when it’s injured or overworked, and are commonly a cause of most joint point. They’ve been known to lead to headaches, neck and jaw pain, lower back pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Based on the discoveries of Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons, in which they found the causal relationship between chronic pain and its source, myofascial trigger point therapy is used to relieve muscular pain through stretching and applied pressure to trigger points. Trigger point therapy, such as that achieved using Trigger Point Performance products, can relieve muscular aches and pains in association with these areas. It can also assist with the redevelopment of muscles and restoration of motion to joints.

The foam roller comes with a very easy to use instruction pull-out that shows you basic exercises with correct form. I went through the set and it hits every muscle group. I’m already back at the computer and feeling better. If you have computer pain or just general tightness from sitting, this little device seems to be a good one. It’s also small and easy to take on trips, to the gym or the office. Of course, staying off the computer and moving around is probably a better solution to neck pain but not likely to happen for me.

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Talk about “News you can use!” Today, the tool of choice for most work that doesn’t involve assembling or maintaining physical artifacts is the personal computer. I’m tethered to mine, and the cramps and soreness that come from that relationship often go well beyond irritating.

Rolling around on a pair, or 6 or 12 tennis balls also works well. Doing a quick set of stretches for hamstrings, lower back, abductors and 20 minutes on an exercise bike or similar equipment will not only loosen any sore muscles, but wake and enliven your mind as well. These are only minimums, of course.

I have the same problem and I like this idea. Good posture is also helpful because it pulls the shoulders back, and that keeps the muscles and nerves from starting to hurt. There are braces that do this but it’s cheaper and just as effective to wear a weighted backpack when you sit at the computer, although I admit it’s kind of weird looking.

As a massage professional that has used trigger point therapy for 17 years, I think its about time for something like this. I have preached tennis balls my entire career. The other thing that works is to get up every half hour, get a timer and set it for 30 minutes, make sure its one you have to get up to turn off, when it goes off bend, squat, turn, twist, lean, shrug, reach, lunge, extend, flex, every joint you can possibly move. Take a drink of water and breath. Do this for 60 seconds and go back to work. Its quick enough so you dont lose track of where you are but enough to make a difference in how you feel. It also makes you aware of your posture and breathing when you sit back down.

And the best thing of course is to get a regular massage with a licensed therapist who is proficient in trigger point therapy.